Indian premium leather brand Da Milano, boasting a 70-store network in the home country in addition to 18 travel retail outlets, is expanding presence in the Middle East across channels. Currently Da Milano has three stores in the UAE, at Ibn Battuta Mall, BurJuman Centre and City Centre Deira.

“We will open at least two more stores within the year. We are already negotiating for the right locations within Emaar and Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls. We are also discussing the possibility of entering Bahrain with a Majid Al Futtaim mall. Further, we are also keen to find the right franchise partner to enter Saudi Arabia,” reveals Salil Malik, director, Da Milano.

Online too, Da Milano is racing to reach a wider audience in the region. “We will launch our e-commerce store this month. At the same time, we have signed up with SOUQ.com for their UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt markets. By May, we will be present on Namshi and Noon, thereby widening our footprint not only in the UAE but the GCC. Currently, we ship internationally from India. An online presence tailored for the Middle East will help us to serve our customer here in a much better manner,” he elaborates.

Da Milano is also pursuing expansion opportunities in the Middle East travel retail sector. “We are currently talking to the Dubai Duty Free and Bahrain Duty Free. The plan is to launch the brand through showrooms in these duty free set-ups,” shares Nisheeth Kohli, general manager – business development for Da Milano.